Blood and ashes
by tortoiseshellcat
Summary: They're strong. They're fast. They're merciless. They're vampires... and they're here."


_Tragically, I don't own any of the characters except Cat, or the universe in which they are set. Oh well..._

"What?"

Ron's eyes were wide in shock as he looked down at his younger sister. Ginny gave a conspiratorial nod, trying to look as mature and knowledgeable as possible. The effect was rather spoilt by her ginger curls tumbling into her eyes. Angrily, she swept them out of the way.

"That's what I heard, anyway. I got kept back in Potions to sweep up some unicorn hair off the floor, and Professor McGonagall came running in at top speed to tell Snape about it. She looked seriously stressed! He had to hiss at her to make her keep quite until I left. I hung around the door in a sort of hopeful way for a while afterwards, but you know how thick those dungeon doors are..."

As she chattered cheerfully away, Ron gave his companions a worried look over her bobbing orange head, which glowed even brighter in the light of the Gryffindor common rooms eternal wood fire, to see how the girl's news had affected them. Hermione was frowning thoughtfully, and Harry definitely looked tense, and irritated at being interrupted in the middle of doing- or rather, trying to do- his Charms homework.

"Let me get this straight"

There was definite disbelief in Harry's voice.

"Dumbledore has invited _what_ to help us fight Voldemort?"

He ignored Ron and Ginny's flinch at the name, glaring down at the girl. She deflated under his angry gaze.

"Didn't you hear her the first time, Harry?"

Hermione serene voice floated out from where she was curled in the depths of an armchair as close to the fire as one could get without loss of eyebrows.

"Vampires. Dumbledore has invited the vampires to join our side."

* * *

The Great hall was a bustle of life, the soft murmuring of conversation overlaid with the clinking of glasses, and the rustle of robes. Near the back, as close to the enormous oak table laden with food as he could get, Ron was scowling as he surveyed the brightly attired gathering of people that filled the hall like so many tropical birds.

"So what is this exactly? A 'getting-to-know-you' gathering? A 'Wow, we're-so-glad-you-joined-our-big-happy-family' bash? A 'Look, we're-a-completely-unprotected-school-full-of-children-come-and-tear-our-throats-out' party?"

"God, Ron, you're so paranoid," Hermione grumbled. She herself wasn't exactly in the best of moods. Instead of settling down in the cosy common-room and really getting her teeth into a book of Arithmancy she'd just taken out from the library, she was wandering idly around the big hall, offering the guests delicate little hors-de-oeuvres off a silver platter, some of which looked suspiciously like they were still capable of getting their teeth into her! I'm a witch, not a waitress, she thought nastily.

The evening's activities had come as a complete surprise to all three of them. At dinner, about two hours earlier, Dumbledore had announced out of the blue that there would be a gathering in the great hall of the "Council of Mugwumps and Wimbleteasers," all night, and so could the rest of the school please not disturb them. Quietly, afterwards, Professor McGonagall had approached them and requested in the polite tone of voice that boded ill for anyone who disagreed, that they be present at the gathering to serve the guests. At Ron's grumble of "Can't you get the house elves to do it?" she had said, rather mysteriously, "This meeting has special relevance to the three of you, so I suggest you attend." before walking briskly away.

Their first view of the group of people assembled in the hall had confirmed why. There had never, ever been a larger meeting of the Order of the Phoenix and their allies.

"Paranoid?!" Ron snarled, "So far I've seen 4 ghouls, a couple of minor demons, 6 centaurs and something that looked scarily like a minotaur, not to mention that..."

Here he gestured toward the back of the hall, where a figure they had first mistaken for a colossal statue was sprawled. The rise and fall of its chest like an earthquake, and the steady crunch as it chewed something were the only signs of life.

"I mean, it's an actual giant!"

Even Hermione had to crawl out of her bad temper long enough to smile at the outrage in his voice, and Harry laughed aloud.

"Admit it Ron, mate. At least it's better than vampires, right?"

Unable to contain a shudder, Ron nodded.

"Harry, even spiders are better than vampires!"

"Wow," breathed Hermione, "you really are scared of them aren't you?"

Harry rounded on her in defence of his friend, his ever-present temper flaring.

"Isn't everybody? They're vampires, Hermione!"

Hermione was just raising her hands to ward of his attack, when a soft, pleasantly accented voice came from slightly to their right.

"Did I hear someone mention vampires?"

They all turned, warily. With the mix of weird and wonderful creatures here tonight, you counted yourself lucky if whomever spoke to you had two eyes and only a few tentacles.

The sight that met their eyes was, considering the unpleasantness they'd all braced themselves for, a surprise.

The girl who had spoken was leaning casually up against the knotted wood of the table, her face mostly in shadow. She was slim, and clearly young, maybe about a year or two older than they themselves. Her long, flawlessly manicured fingers were absently toying with a bright red apple from a basket on the table. Although she was dressed in Muggle clothes- elegant, tight fitting black jeans that hugged her lean legs, soft black leather boots and a beautiful, old fashioned long sleeve white silk shirt, (the first few buttons of which were undone to show off a distinctly impressive cleavage that instantly drew the boys eyes)- she was happily free of suckers, dripping stings etc. The firelight, which barely touched her in this darker side of the room, glanced off shimmering dark curls, and the arc of a razor sharp cheekbone. It just brushed the curve of her mouth, so they could tell she was smiling.

"Yes," said Ron in what he clearly hoped was as macho a voice as possible.

Internally, Hermione rolled her eyes. Any minute now he and Harry would be flexing their muscles and posing.

"Do you know much about them?" she asked, a little hostilely.

Lazily, with an almost liquid grace, the other girl stepped out of the shadow towards them. Hermione's mouth fell open. For a moment, she wished she could tear her eyes from the other girl's face to see Ron and Harry's expressions, but that would have been impossibly. Green eyes flecked with gold met hers, and that perfect mouth curved upwards into a feline smile. An elongated hand ran casually through a tangled halo of curls the colour of chocolate, streaked with copper and gold. She knows she's beautiful, Hermione thought to herself, and I bet she knows how to use it too.

"I'm Harry."

"I'm Ron."

The dazed voices came from beside Hermione.

A slim hand was held out, almost absently.

"Cat."

"What?" gasped Harry, breathlessly

The stunning girl's smile broadened.

"My name. It's Cat."

Hermione felt the beginnings of real dislike budding in her chest.

"Well... Cat (_God, what a stupid name_,) **Do** you know anything about vampires?

The girl tilted her head to one side, an oddly animalistic gesture. Her grin grew even wider, if that was possible, and, for the first time, the trio of friends could see her teeth.

"I should hope so," she purred, "After all, I am one."


End file.
